Latest Posts by an-awkward-ghost - Page 4

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This is amazing!

Megami Ibunroku Persona: Shadow Maze - English translation of the official P1 novel is done!

Hi there.

Some of you may not know me, but I’m the guy who translated the Persona 1 manga. And today I present to you Megami Ibunroku Persona: Shadow Maze, the official Persona 1 novelization!

God, I’ve been working on this translation for so long, it’s good to be done already. It took me almost six years, but in my defense it wasn’t like the translation was the only thing I’ve done during this entire time. I swear there was a point where I must’ve gone two years without touching it. Regardless, it’s done.

So… English is not my first language. I like to believe that my English is very good, but chances are there are some small stuff here and there that sound stiff or not quite natural. I went through the text multiple times to fix stuff, but I don’t have an editor. If you come across a composition that isn’t quite right, please tell me. I may release an updated version if there’s a non-insignificant number of changes to be made.

Q. So, what is this?

Megami Ibunroku Persona: Shadow Maze is an official Persona 1 novel, published in 1997 by Aspect Novels, written by Naoko Korekata.

Q. Cool, what is the novel about?

It tells the story from the first Persona game, but Maki is the protagonist and the novel is written in first person.

Q. Wait, what about the regular protagonist? Does he not exist in the novel?

He’s still around, he just isn’t the protagonist anymore.

Q. Who’s this Jay guy?

The game protagonist. The Western fandom got used to calling him Naoya thanks to the manga, but just like Minato/Makoto, Souji/Yu and Akira/Ren, the P1 protagonist has multiple names in different adaptations.

Q. Can I read this without any knowledge of the game?

Sadly, no. While it technically tells the story of the entire game, it glosses over a lot of stuff.

That being said, you don’t need to have played the game. Reading the manga also works! (Please read the P1 manga)

Q. So, have you got any Persona or Megami Tensei translations in the works?

Not really. Someone at the Megami Tensei Wiki was kind enough to share the Jin novels, and if no translator has picked them up yet, I can do it. If I do, I’ll try releasing the chapters as I finish them, rather than waiting until I’ve finished the entire novel.

Q. Where else can I find you?

Here on Tumblr, and on Twitter too. I haven’t been very active on either of those platforms recently, though. I’m trying to change that.

Q. *slams hands on desk* Where’s the book?

MEGA.

Google Drive.

Enjoy!

Writing a Blind or Visually Impaired Character

A Multi-Step Guide Written by a Visually Impaired Writer and Blogger

I’m hoping this blog will over time develop its own following, and when it does people will inevitably see my bio and notice what I included: I’m visually impaired.

Yes, a visually impaired writer, and I’ve written with two blind characters before so I have some practice in the field.

So, inevitably, someone is going to ask how to write a blind character.

Or, at least, I hope you’ll ask someone who’s actually blind or visually impaired about writing a blind character before you get too involved with your new WIP.

All parts will be tagged #blindcharacter in my blog, and I will add links to every post as I finish each part. Follow my blog for more writing advice.

Note, this post updates fairly often and old versions are still floating around out there. The most current version of this post is pinned to my blog with any new guides or links you might of missed.

As of 24 January 2021, this is the most extensive and screen reader friendly version of this post.

Part One: Crafting the Blind Character

In which I tell you how to begin making a blind character who is more than a cardboard cutout

Part Two: Narrative Choice, Visual Description, Verbal Description, Social Interaction

In which I give you a basic rundown on how to write from the perspective of a character who can’t see and still make the narration descriptive

Part Three: Tropes and Clichés to Avoid

Your blind readers will thank you for not being the 5000th person to do this and manage to actually finish your story. (Do you have any idea how many stories I’ve noped out of within two chapters because of these clichés? A Lot.)

-New- Part Four: Canes, Guide Dogs, and O&M

Everything I can tell you about 1) how to learn how to use a cane 2) how a cane works 3) how to describe what your character experiences with their cane 4) everything I know on guide dogs

Part Five: Small Aspects of being Blind You Never Thought Of

5 January 2021 Edit: This link has been fixed to correspond with the correct post

Or, really, very normal everyday things for blind people, the inclusion of which will make your characters more real and authentic. It’s the tiny details.

Part Six: Should You Cure Your Character’s Blindness? (Short Answer: No)

There’s no way to write a cure for your blind character that doesn’t make blind readers hate you. Sorry. We came here to finally experience a relatable character who experiences the world like us, but none of us are getting cured so seeing this character we learned to love become something alien from us in the end feels like a slap in the face

Why I’m Blind and What I See -NEW-

I thought I’d finally make a post explaining the complicated situation about my vision. Includes an explanation of visual snow and exotropia, two of the three causes for my vision issues.

Writing Blind Characters Falling in Love, an Advice Post:

Someone asked what being blind and falling in love have to do with each other. Honestly, blindness changes your perspective on everything and it makes an impact on every relationship you have. This includes some things that you definitely do not want your character’s love interest to be/do.

Writing Blind Jokes (Should You Do It?)

You know those flow charts of “should you do x?” going around? It’s like that, but screen reader friendly. Should you write blind jokes. It’s pretty complicated and there are a lot of possible scenarios and details to consider.

Advice for Writing Toph Beifong -NEW-

In this I discuss what I would like to see done in fanfiction with Toph’s character after ten years of reading Avatar the Last Airbender fanfiction

A small essay addressing the frequently asked question on giving your blind character a superpower to help them “see.”

It’s became a popular question, so to make the answer easier/faster for everyone to access, I wrote what will usually be my initial answer. Below there are a few links to some notable past questions on this subject.

Mourning My Vision, it’s More than Depression. 

A small personal essay addressing the nuances of the mourning period you experience with a new disability. The mourning period is mentioned in other guides, but this is more detailed.

Dealing with Heightened Senses, a video by Molly Burke with additional commentary by me

While Molly talks about the myths and truths about heightened senses, I talk about the correlation with blindness and neuro-divergency and how co-morbid disorders/disabilities might affect sensory processing.

Satirical Commentary on the phrase “that blank look in their eyes” used too often in fiction to identify a blind character

a:tla, I’m looking at you (and my eyes aren’t blank)

I Found a Lost Piece of Blindness History

My grandmother told me about her blind aunt and how she sent letters. It led me to speculate about all the O&M things people develop on their own but never get a chance to pass onto other blind people. Technology and techniques are lost in history and reinvented, including the white cane ad guide dogs.

Includes a little history on the introduction of guide dogs into the 20th century

The Following are Answered Anon Questions

Making Your Blog More Accessible

Making Links Accessible to Screen Readers

Reblogging to Add an Image Description to Someone Else’s Image

Why I Write Image Descriptions

Writing Blind Characters

Advice for a Character Who was Born Blind

Over-Protective Parents of a Blind Character, Why They’re Over-Protective and How to Avoid Crossing a Line

A Blind Character in Victorian Era Historical Fiction

Is It Bad Not to Have Guide Dogs in a Fantasy/Historical Setting Without Guide Dogs (short answer: it’s not bad)

Someone Asked About My Thoughts on a Medusa-like Character Blinding Herself to Avoid Hurting Anyone

-New- Characters Who Have Recently Gone Blind and Avoiding Inspiration Porn

Talking about Popular Blind Characters In Media

Does Daredevil’s Echolocation Negate His Blindness

Someone Else was Asked How to Write Daredevil Fanfiction

Blind Characters with Superpowers/Fighting Styles

World Setting where the General Population has a Superpower

Superpowers that don’t involve sight, Five questions to ask yourself if this superpower is a bad idea or a good one

-New- Your character would not use a cane as a weapon, it’s a bad idea

D&D/Roleplaying Blind Characters

-New- Animal Familiars Acting as Service Animals and Advice for Communicating with Your DM

-New- Portraying Older Blind Characters + Causes for Vision Loss with Old Age

I can’t express how much I love this

space chicken, peckin' at the stars

Tried a bit of Lauren Groff’s style on this one. I don’t think I pulled it off 😂

Angsty fic of Onyx nudging mc’s body (she’s unable to come back in animal form) with her muzzle to try to wake her up. Like that scene in Game of Thrones when Drogon tries to wake Daenerys up

Written by @an-awkward-ghost

The sight was sickening.

MC was—is larger than life, someone that would fight tooth and nail to achieve what she wants. Onyx had always admired that about her. At some point in their relationship, Onyx felt less like the badass Envy Assassin she was and more like a lost little puppy MC had found on the street. She had crumbled more than once in her arms, cursing the world, her sister, her inability to do anything right.

She wasn’t that cool woman that had kissed MC one night, sparkling green eyes and a dimpled smile. She is a broken woman, left to rot, to fail, to hurt everyone she ever cared about, and now, now… the only person that had looked at all her faults and shrugged them off, that had welcomed her into a loving heart, was… she was…

Please, MC, she begged in her thoughts, please don’t leave me.

She just couldn’t process it. There was no way, no way, no way—

She crouched low to seek MC’s warmth, taken aback by the scent of death and sweat and blood, and her mind went blank, because how could this be, how could MC, how could someone as strong and determined and wonderful as her be—how could…

She pressed her snout against her rib, hoping against hope that she would feel it rise. She knew that if she listened for a few more seconds she’d hear her heart, her breathing, and her mouth was already opening to tell MC to stop scaring her, to wake up, but all that emerged from her were low growls and desperate roars. Her muzzle refused to form the words she wanted to say, and everything came out as a choked sound of pain and grief. She wanted to say it, she wanted to yell it, please, please, MC, don’t leave me, please stay, you’re going to be fine, I’m so sorry, so sorry, please—

MC’s body refused to give signs of life. Onyx wondered if she wasn’t looking hard enough, if MC was merely tired and would blink drowsily at her and laugh that bell-like laugh of hers. Her eyes. Onyx needed to see them, because surely… surely… that part of MC was still alive…

Onyx wondered if her eyes would look as dull and faded as dirt on a mountain, instead of the usual, warm orbs of chocolate she was so accustomed to seeing. Her claws sank deep into the earth, rooting Onyx in the spot.

Right. Right. MC’s eyes must be full of warmth still. They had to be, but Onyx couldn’t confirm it.

She stared hopelessly at MC’s closed eyelids, at the way her hands laid on her sides. She had the posture of death and eternal memory, and Onyx couldn’t unsee it now.

MC was—she was…

A small nudge. The body rolled easily into its side, no resistance, no nothing. Despite all her fur, the spot of muzzle that had touched MC’s body burned with cold.

1, 11 and 20?👀❤️😂

1. Either Ghost or Mako ;)

11. Octopath Traveler is one of my top favorite games, if only because 30% of my time is spent admiring the gorgeous art.

20. My favourite book is definitely Carrie by Stephen King, but recently I reread The Lotus War by Jay Kristoff and the worldbuilding was just... chef’s kiss. It deserves a mention.

49 and 69👀

49. I used to wish I was taller 😂😂

69. Probably not if I get stuck with homework, but I hope I can finish quickly 😅

Transgender Day of Visibility.

*They whisper to each other seductively…*

….

April fools y’all

"no honour among thieves", a queer, crime-thriller visual novel by - wait. mod galen?!

that's right folks! you might've noticed i kinda vanished off of the face of the earth for a hot second there. reason being, i've been creating my very own visual novel, day in and day out - and today i can finally present a piece of it to you all. the demo is officially out!

what's no honour among thieves about, you may ask? the short answer would be sexy felons fucking each other over in every meaning of the word. as for the long answer...

no honour among thieves stars you, the unnamed, never-shown mc so you can project and create to your hearts content, a criminal of many trades, con art being one of them. when the ex-boyfriend of a hot mafia boss asks you to seduce and break the heart of said mafia boss for a shitton of money, you find yourself tangled up in one hell of an adventure as the resident biker gang's leader also wants a piece of the action and is acting as a glorified guard dog. there's also a girl who's willing to sell your soul to the devil for a cornchip.

as you can tell, i'm great at summaries.

memes aside, i've been working really hard on this project for months now, so if you could support it, it'd mean the world to me! you can find me on:

twitter

itch.io

and patreon!

the kickstarter to fully-fund this originally small, but now rather ambitious project, will be launching anywhere between a few days time to a week or so, depending how things go, so keep your eyes peeled (but don't worry, i'll be sure to share it on here, too.)

now, the characters!

afrom left to right - navin devraj (he/him), mercury jackson (he/she), xanthe wilde (he/they), and the siren, a.k.a siren lewis (she/her).

xanthe and mercury, the mafia boss and biker gang leader, respectively, are so far the only love interests in the game - and yes, they're both nonbinary because i can! we need more rep and i do what i want! but one of the kickstarter stretch goals is to give navin and siren route as well. either way, they will remain important side characters that the mc can become fwbs with if they so wish ;)

none of the romances are gender-locked, as they're all bi or pan anyway, and you can choose your mc's gender, attire, pronouns, title - later on you can even specify the petnames the li's will call you. that's on inclusion for everyone, babey!!

this is getting long, so i'll wrap it up.

check out the demo here!

mod galen, checking out~

-

ps: be a dear and reblog this so i can get the word out, will you? rts on my twitter also help a ton!

Strawberry lemonade, buttercup, meadow grass and cinnamon ❤️

Thank you for the ask! 😄 I feel so honoured someone thinks I give good hugs lol and yes! I’m always open to more friends!

😂😂

wish to be covid one tho cof cof

The fan hearts is back and they accept fanfiction now! Finally!!

🥰

how are all your writers so good? hello? where do you guys find all these amazing people T-T

First of all - Thank you so much for the kind words, Anon! I'm so glad you enjoy all of our's writing so much 😁 We are so incredibly lucky to have such amazing writers within the Mods, and within all of our ghosties! And most of the time, they find us 😅 - Mod Runa

Okey but on this update all of Yvette’s heart scenes were 30+ hearts each, and on the other set of episodes at least one option was 31 hearts. Have the amount of hearts for other routes increased or is it just Yvette? I mean, 30+ hearts is a bit excessive... especially for the first heart scene of episode 9, which was really short...

I've been meaning to post about this game for a while now...

Bycatch is an interactive fiction game written and developed by members of VOWTogether (5 writers of Lovestruck stories have put all of this together, including the character and artefact artwork).

It's available to play on itch.io (desktop only I believe) - go to the site and search for "vowtogether" or "bycatch". It's easy to find, I just don't want to post direct links because Tumblr may decide to hide this post from the tags!

Don't be put off if you've heard people talk about it as a horror game - whilst it does fall into that category, there's no jump-scare to it.

I'd describe it as more like... odd and unsettling (which is definitely my thing).

Game time is around 20 mins for a full play-through but it always takes me longer as I often have to walk away at points and think about what I've just read! You'll definitely want to play it more than once - I've lost count how many times I've played.

I'm not going to give anything away about the game except for a few screenshots below as an intro. If you appreciate how talented the senior Lovestruck writing team are, definitely give this game a go (this is why I'm putting it in the main tags). And if you enjoy it, spread the word!

Can we get a fluf fic where Mc tries to keep up with goofy/funny/silly/playful/sleepy/naughty Vivienne? Please I miss my babe😢

Pairing with: PLEASE ANY VIVIENNE X ZOE X MC FLUFFY WOULD BE APPRECIATED 🥺

PLEASE may I request ANY Vivienne x Zoe x MC fluff? Pretty please?…

...

In hindsight, you should have seen it coming. You didn’t even stop to think about where Vivienne had gone off to, used to her random disappearances in the morning and far too distracted with the newest episode of a show Zoe and you liked to wonder about it for long.

Almost buzzing with excitement, you enter Zoe’s room, dropping in the moving chair she has by her side and eagerly watching the screen.

“How much is left?”

“Half an hour, but I think we’ll manage.”

With nothing else to do but wait, you quickly dissolve into excited theorizing, while Zoe just sits there and listens, adding the occasional ‘uh-huh’ here and there. You both had worked out what the twist might be the other week, so you limit yourself to wondering about the characters themselves. That eventually turns into a discussion of ships.

Zoe isn’t much of a shipper, you’ve noticed. She keeps to the margin and analyses everything objectively, acknowledging character interactions but never focusing on them. You were the complete opposite, and a crack shipper to boot, which often clashes against Zoe’s logical side and sparks some amazing debates.

You’re in the middle of one right then when Remy interrupts, knuckles lightly tapping against the door’s side as he peers in, face blank as he looks at the two of you on your respective chairs, cocooned by a blanket, popcorn sitting on your laps. “I’ll never understand what you like so much about that show.”

“Excuse you,” Zoe huffs, angrily grabbing her soda and giving him a sour look. “It’s an amazing show.”

“Amazing!” You echo, as you have done many times before. “I am appalled you don’t see its genius, Remy! Appalled!”

“Right, sure. I remember you both were hysterical over the last cliffhanger. Did you figure out who the murderer is already?”

“Oh yeah,” you wave your hand around, as if dismissing the subject. “Last week. What we are discussing right now is why the prosecutor and the assistant are such a good pairing–” Zoe turns to look at you as if you had just proclaimed the sky was purple, and she looks so baffled you dissolve into a fit of giggles right then and there.

Remy smiles, shaking his head fondly, and stepping out without another word.

“Leaving that atrocious pairing aside…”

Zoe nudges the discussion into another direction and you allow it, satisfied with the reaction you got from her earlier. You’re both stealing anxious glances at the screen, excited to see that only a few minutes are left.

“This is it,” Zoe mutters softly. “The end of this case. The next one is going to be so weird.”

“We’ll probably find out what happen to the firefighter, right? Honestly, it just looks like they got abducted by aliens–”

“MC!” Rings a voice. Zoe scowls immediately, as if that was her standard reaction to Vivienne – or yet another interruption. Probably both.

“Hey babe, where were you?”

Vivienne’s smirk softens at the petname, quietly pleased. “Oh, you know, getting some things ready…”

“Huh? What, for the heist?”

“Something infinitely better.”

“What could be better than the heist?”

Her eyes gleam, dark pools of chocolate drawing you in like a sailor entranced by a siren’s call. “Why don’t you come with me and find out?”

Zoe groans.

“Can you stop being horny for–” her gaze drops quickly to the clock, “–24 minutes? It won’t kill you, will it?”

“You are always invited to join us, darling.”

“Pass.”

“Your loss,” Vivienne says, with a small shrug. “Then, MC–”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, sure babe, just gimme 24 minutes.”

“Twen– what?” Her eyes follow yours, locking onto the screen. “…Ah. Today is Monday. I forgot.”

“Prepared a whole ‘romantic’ outing for no reason, did you?” Zoe grins. “Sucks to be you.”

A light frown appears over Vivienne’s face. “It’s… only half an hour. I can manage that much.” She finally says, body turning slightly, as if she were on an internal war over leaving and staying.

“Great. You’re making progress, Tang.”

Vivienne rolls her eyes, most of her good mood visibly diminishing. She hesitates a second longer before turning in your direction, pursing her lips. “So– a show. I’m getting cockblocked because of a show.”

“A great show,” both Zoe and you say, nodding solemnly.

“But you already know how it’s going to end. Who the murderer is. MC, you told me that last week!”

“I mean, it’s only a theory Zoe and I have. We still need to see if it gets confirmed.”

“It surely will.” Zoe says, smugly. “The signs are all there. He won’t get away with it. The scarf will be his undoing, no doubt.”

“Wait, you’re still with that? It’s the statue! It’s too fishy! If they check it and–”

“MC, you can’t be serious–” Vivienne tries to interject, but Zoe quickly cuts her off with her own rebuttal to your argument, and the seductress gets this strange look on her face, gaze flicking between the screen, Zoe, and you, stunned for all of two seconds before she shakes her head, schooling her expression.

You distractedly wonder if she’ll leave, your attention quickly taken by the beginning of the opening notes of the show. You enter than zone where nothing else matters, nothing else exists but the screen and you are positively buzzing, mind racing with all the things that could possibly happen until a red blur passes in front of you, something heavy landing so unexpectedly on your lap it takes your breath away.

“Wha–”

“Ow! Hey! Vivienne?!”

It takes you a moment to understand what happened, snapping out of the concentrated state you were a few seconds ago. Vivienne has perched herself on top of your lap, curled there like a smug cat, her arms loosely wrapped around your neck and her gaze is so intense it sets your whole soul alight, consuming every thought you had previously.

You have the same reaction any person would have in this situation, which is, to have a full gay panic.

She– she feels so warm and she’s so close and oh god those eyes–

“Vivienne, what the hell!”

One glance to the right reveals what has Zoe so pissed: Vivienne has her legs high up in her direction, blocking her view of the screen. You don’t even know why she’s so mad, it’s a very nice view–

“The show just began! Are you really that salty?!”

Show? What sh– Ah. That show. Right.

You try to maneuver around Vivienne’s head to look at the computer, but one of Vivienne’s hands instantly grabs your chin, forcing you to look at her with a gentle but firm gesture. Barely, you catch her move her legs to block Zoe too.

“Eyes on me, partner.” She all but purrs, commanding, and your brain short-circuits when she presses herself against you.

“Really? Really?!”

Vivienne gives Zoe her best smoldering smirk. “Oh, I know that look. It’s okay, dear, you can go first… maybe bend me over the table–”

“I’m going to throw you out of the window–”

“Is that your kink, Zoe? Press me against the window, giving everyone full view of–”

“Oh my god–!”

Taking advantage of the situation, you try to peek at the screen again. Vivienne’s grip tightens, making you whimper slightly, her blazing brown eyes meeting yours again.

“Ah ah ah, what did I say? Do not disobey me.”

“Viv…”

“Keep looking at me, sweetheart. If I catch more wandering eyes, you’re going to regret it.”

“Ah… but I…”

Her eyes flash, her thumb tracing the lines of your lips roughly, effectively shutting you up. Vivienne looks pleased, all dark passion, grip softening. She starts tracing a line down to your throat, leaving a trail of tickling heat after the touch.

“Suffering from success, aren’t you, MC?” Zoe dryly states, maneuvering around Vivienne’s outstretched legs with a scowl that could give Nikolai’s a run for his money. She reaches for the back of the moving chair you had borrowed, beginning to push you. Vivienne makes a chocked sound of surprise low in her throat, tightening her hold over your neck. “That’s it. All I want is to watch my show in peace, no interruptions-”

“Um, our show-”

“-and no Vivienne being Vivienne for the next 20 minutes.”

“What am I supposed to be then?”

“Be a doormat for all I care, just do it outside my room!” She punctuates her statement with one final, fully determined push, sending you skidding towards the hallway. Vivienne thrusts her legs to the right, managing to use her weight just so to spin the chair in time. The back collides against the wall with a dull thump, and you barely see Zoe’s deadpan expression before she closes her door. “You better return my chair later!” Is all she says, presumably heading back to her computer.

“…aw, I wanted to see this episode.” You finally mumble, shoulders dropping dejectedly.

Vivienne blinks owlishly at you. “Isn’t the episode going to be available later?”

“Well, yeah, but I’m curious to see how the arrest will go. I don’t think I can wait another day.”

“Arrest. Such an ugly word, when you are a thief.” Vivienne hums, pressing into you just slightly, eyes alight with mirth. “You are quite taken with it regardless… Is it the thrill?”

“Uh…”

“You know, partner, if you want to be in cuffs so much, all you have to do is ask.”

Color spreads over your cheeks like spilled wine, sweet, impossible to hold back. Vivienne leans forward, eager for a taste, that smirk of hers firmly in place and you briefly wonder if you’ll just burst, too filled with surprise and frustration and a little bit of heat.

“Think only about me, MC.” Vivienne mutters, breath ghosting over the skin of your ear, coaxing a shy shiver out of you. The vibrations of her voice send ripples of emotion through you, make you groan slightly. Smirk widening, not caring one bit that you are still on the hallway, one of her hands drops down, down-

“20 minutes! Just 20 minutes!” A flash of gray. Vivienne’s startled squeak. Her grip loosens and she goes tumbling down your lap, the floor receiving her with its cold embrace. Zoe’s door slams shut – again – and your gaze drops, discovering the slipper resting by Vivienne’s hand with an amused snort.

“She got you good, huh?”

“She – just took me by surprise, is all.” Vivienne says, after a pause. You giggle, pushing yourself to your feet and offering her your hand, which she takes gratefully. She doesn’t let go, instead pulling you in the direction of the apartment’s exit, and you throw a longing look in the direction of Zoe’s room before accepting your fate.

You’ll have to watch that episode tomorrow, it seems.

Best thing to happen to me today was finding out my Short Story teacher has played Portal.

People are surprised to see Piama having a violence/murder kink as if her main LI in other routes weren't Ruelle "murder is the most effective solution" of Autum .

This seems pretty spot on 🤣

Can we get angsty fic of Yvette and Vuz-ass make a deal for curse removal? Yvette isn’t aware of the catch. Vuz took MC’s humanity away at the same time as Yvette’s curse removal. Mc joins Vuz and make deal with demons for powers.

Written by @an-awkward-ghost

“It is always a pleasure to see you, my child.” The greeting was raspy, amusement coating it like honey. Vuzgamad never felt truly threatened by Yvette, no matter what she did or what she said. It was all a game to her, like an owner who didn’t expect their dog to bite them, and only watched fondly as it growled and whimpered and barked.

But Yvette did know how to bite, and she would draw blood when she did. It was only a matter of time.

“You said you wanted to make a deal.”

Years of experiences had taught Yvette everything she needed to know about deals. It was similar to a battlefield, where each party needed to plan their movements and proposals to the full extent. They couldn’t allow their opponent to have an unfair advantage. Quite ironically, however, they were willing to go to any lengths to cheat the other party to gain said unfair advantage – so long as they weren’t caught, anyway. Yvette wasn’t planning on letting anything slip past her, because there was no doubt Vuzgamad wanted to cheat her.

The day the demon did one thing even the slightest bit truthfully, would be the day hell froze over.

“Straight to the point,” She hummed, making a small tsk sound right afterwards. “That impatience will do you no good, girl. Don’t you want to chat a little?”

Yvette gave her a fulminating glare, blue eyes glinting dangerously. “If it doesn’t regard whatever deal it is that you want to make, I have nothing to say to you.”

“So ferocious. So brash. Well, it is to be expected, I suppose…” Vuzgamad finally, finally turned to look at her, a small smirk playing at the edge of her lips. She got the gesture and movement right; if Yvette hadn’t known she was a demon, if she hadn’t been able to see marks and the hollow eyes, she would have thought it was just another human, if a little awkward.

Vuzgamad had learnt too much about human behavior recently. It set Yvette on edge.

“Simply put, your curse has reached its peak. It’s about time to remove it.”

“…Excuse me?”

She must have heard the demon wrong. She fought to keep her breathing steady, to avoid giving Vuzgamad the reaction she wanted, but she could feel excitement bubbling inside her all the same. She schooled her expression – no, no, she couldn’t dare to hope. She couldn’t dare to believe her, not when she had been the one to curse her in the first place.

She couldn’t let her emotions override her logic. She needed to keep her yearning in check. She needed to. She needed to. The disappointment would crush her otherwise.

For a second, Vuzgamad’s eyes flickered from her expression to her hands, scanning for the slightest twitch. Her smirk stretched.

Then the demon feigned disinterest, turning to whatever she was writing. Yvette felt eerily like a child that had stumbled into their parent’s office and interrupted their work. The sensation made her shudder with disgust.

This demon was not her mother. She would never be, because Yvette had left her real mother – and any chance she had at a normal life – behind when she had decided to run away from home.

“The power your curse provides can be harvested, so that’s what I will do. Take it away.”

Her heart leaped. Yvette worried for a second that Vuzgamad could hear it. She cleared her throat, trying to crush her rising hope. Focus. She had to focus. “There must be a catch of some sort.”

“Isn’t there always, dear?” Then, silence. She was enjoying this – perhaps she wanted to see Yvette fidget? She wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. She wouldn’t – couldn’t – play right into her hands.

“I do not trust you, Vuzgamad. I will not accept your deal.” She intended to say this with conviction, but her voice wavered. Vuzgamad huffed, rolling her eyes.

“I have not finished speaking, child.”

“Could have fooled me…”

“Oh please, it was a dramatic pause. You know all about those, don’t you?”

“You were doing an excellent job at getting straight to the point.”

“Ah, so you are the only one who can have a dramatic flair?”

Yvette’s scowl deepened. “Stop. Wasting. My. Time.”

“So brash! Where did your manners go, child?” Another tsk sound. Vuzgamad turned the paper over so she could continue writing. “Yes, yes, there is a catch. The energy I harvest from you – your curse with it – will be used to bring about the end of the world. You must have known that already.”

“I hardly doubt you could destroy the world with-”

“Do you honestly think I’d have wasted years for a plan I wasn’t quite sure would work?”

Yvette bristled. With a quick movement of her hand, her cane snapped into existence. She twirled it artfully, a warning. “I do not accept.”

“Really.” The demon’s voice drips with sarcasm. “Do keep in mind there is no other way for you to get rid of that curse, save for that girl’s ability to love. We both know you won’t choose that option,” another brief, amused look, “or you could kill me, but I hardly doubt you’ll have much luck this time.”

There it was, that overwhelming desire. To be free. To be normal. To have the one thing she’d wanted almost all of her life. And it was locked behind a word and a sense of duty to her Assassin Title. If Yvette accepted, then…

Then… what?

Vuzgamad was sure her plan would work. Yvette knew it would fail.

Whatever it was that Vuzgamad believed, her curse didn’t feel powerful enough for the feat she was suggesting. Yvette was quite used to keeping the energy in check, after all. She would know better than anyone if her curse was truly at its peak.

Now this was the perfect opportunity to cheat her opponent. Yvette put on an act, refusing at first, to keep Vuzgamad from realizing what she was trying to do, before she finally agreed.

She could shoot two birds with one stone.

…

“Sounds like quite the big catch, though. Are you sure about this, Yvette?”

“I’m aware of the danger. Vuzgamad doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

Vinca gives her a sidelong glance, wary. “Is it tonight?”

“It is.”

“And I probably won’t be able to talk you out of this.”

“Mm-hm.”

“Does the pipsqueak have a better chance?”

The corners of Yvette’s lips quirk upwards at the mention. “Not any better that yours.”

Vinca moves to touch her gloved hand again, giving the interaction with Vuzgamad a few days ago another look. “I guess it’s worth a try. If she does anything, we can just gut her.”

“Assuming we’ll manage this time,” Lazareth mumbles, looking just as uneasy as Vinca is. Yvette ignores them both, fiddling with her phone to get in contact with MC. She can’t wait to share the news.

…

“You brought company,” Vuzgamad notes, drily.

“What is it that you always tell me…? The more the merrier, was it?”

Vuzgamad laughs. It’s an awful sound, like a claw scrapping metal, inhumane and atrocious. Yvette winces. Vinca glares daggers at the demon, hands twitching towards the tiny knives on her dress, though she grits her teeth and makes no other movement. Lazareth casts the room a quizzical look, obviously on the hunt for a hint regarding whatever ritual Vuzgamad was going to use.

MC stood beside them, the very definition of calm. Yvette smiled to herself, knowing MC had taken her lessons about how to school her expression to heart. Having everyone by her side meant the world to her, emboldening her, giving her the strength she needs to face Vuzgamad and emerge victorious.

The thing is… nothing went as planned.

The curse removal was less painful than she expected it to be. Energy swirled out of her and into a device Vuzgamad had prepared, a small gray stone which quickly turned into a bright, pulsing orange. It was an odd sensation, not having to subconsciously keep the curse in check. Yvette felt almost hollow, but she quickly shrugged the feeling away.

She felt cold. For the first time in ages, she felt cold.

The chill of the wind bit into her skin like tiny knives laced with a numbing substance. Vinca moved to her side, watching her worriedly, her hand hovering over Yvette’s elbow and sending a shock of warmth through her system.

The curse had been blindingly hot, never warm. Yvette half-expected it to be scalding, but this warmth was soothing. Yvette found herself unconsciously leaning into it.

Smiling, Yvette looked up to meet MC’s eyes. And her whole world shattered when she saw none of the loving support MC had always given her, just stony indifference.

MC then walked towards Vuzgamad, who gave her the stone without a word.

Lazareth bristled at the sight. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?”

They glare at each other, the tension skyrocketing by the second. Yvette blinks. Blinks again. Blinks once more, trying to comprehend what’s happening, trying to understand why MC is standing beside Vuzgamad and not her. It doesn’t make sense. It is unexpected, and for a second Yvette feels a different kind of cold – it descends on her with a rush of panic

Vinca steps in front of her like some sort of human shield. Yvette can’t see the blonde’s expression but she can easily imagine it, all furrowed eyebrows and stormy blue eyes.

"You have one minute to explain before I gut you out. Both of you."

Vuzgamad chuckles. She turns in MC's direction with a maniac grin. "Yes MC, do explain to my child and her friends your decision." The glint in her eye reminds Yvette of the day she has first meet the demon, when she had ruined her life with the curse. She looks at it now and immediately understands her life will be ruined yet again.

MC shrugs. "Helping you was kind of pathetic. I decided to join the winning side."

"Pathetic?" Vinca repeats, her voice like acid. "I don't know if you hit your head or something, pipsqueak, but the only pathetic thing around here is your existence. Are you trying to shy await from that fact? Or are you just too delusional to-"

"MC." Her voice wavers, but it still rings sharply through the room. Vinca stops talking, choosing to seethe in anger while Lazareth gives them both one long, worried look. Yvette ignores everything - Vuzgamad's amused stare, MC's own disgusted one - and focuses on the woman she remembers MC to be. The woman she fell in love. The bike mechanic in front of her is a stranger, an illusion. "It's a lie. S-some sort of joke in very poor sense. It must be."

MC smiles. "The only joke around here is you."

Everything she is feeling is replaced by anger. Anger at Vuzgamad, anger at herself, anger at the world. The thing she desires the most slips through her fingers once more, as it seems destined to do.

The person she trusted above everything else. The person she can't believe is turning her back on her like this. The person she had given everything for, standing before her, letting all those precious, precious memories rot at the edge of her consciousness, not showing any remorse at all.

Yvette's first thought is that she is possessed. One look into her eyes confirms she is not.

The cold is but a distant memory, her pure being enveloped by the heat of her frustration.

Vinca gasps, taking a few steps back. "Yvette, your eyes!" Her eyes open wide, "your curse!"

Lazareth brandishes his weapon, bewildered. "The ritual was a hoax."

Vuzgamad bats his words away with a hand, still chuckling. "Hardly. I merely gathered enough energy for the curse to weaken, not to break. Yvette's conflicting feelings have strengthened it beyond comprehension." She pauses to bark a small laugh when Yvette's eyes snap towards her, blazing. "Child! What did you take me for? Did you think I didn't know your curse wasn't ready for harvest yet? It would have taken another decade, probably, but this little event speed the process up. Isn't it glorious?"

Yvette took a deep, calming breath. She could feel the curse's energy replenishing, fueled by her anger. It wasn't close to its usual amount, but Yvette could feel it nonetheless. The curse was stronger. One slip and everything would burn.

 "Where are the tears, Yvette?" MC asked. "I was expecting some serious waterworks from you! Too bad."

“Oh, that is it!”

Vinca’s knives flash. The realization MC has turned into an enemy – an enemy she will have to fight – locks Yvette in place. She can only watch as the knives soar through the air, directly towards MC’s shoulder. Ah, Vinca wants to paralyze her. Maybe so they can focus on Vuzgamad first. Yvette can get behind that plan, she wants to interrogate MC further.

But her thoughts quickly dissipate when the knives stop in mid-air. MC smirks, tapping the side of her head with a lazy, confident motion.

Lazareth grunts. “Telekinesis?”

“Isn’t it cool?” She asks. A flicker of her wrist, and the knives turn.

Yvette summons her sword with a trembling hand. Its weight offers some semblance of comfort, of control, but a quick look around reveals they are at a disadvantage. Eyeless demons are pouring out of the shadows in one big, crazed mass of bodies. They could probably take them on with little to no problem, but Yvette doesn’t think she’s in a good emotional place to endure the fight.

Her concentration spills into reality, turning it into a distraction that won’t last more than a couple of seconds.

It’s enough time to escape.

And so, she meets Vinca and Lazareth’s questioning gaze and orders a retreat, gritting her teeth, wondering how and why everything turned out the way it did.

She should have never assumed she could cheat Vuzgamad.

Hey all, Mod Aurora here! The Mods have been kind enough to let me share the start of my new venture. I've started an LGBTQIA fashion line and here is the first product! I have a lot more coming soon on hoodies, jumpers, dresses, tshirts and much more. I'm also taking personal requests and can ship globally. If you want to find out more contact me on @bhavf and I'll share my store details 😁 thank you all for your support

Hey Star! Here's an ask for the writer ask game: 🍄how do you get yourself in the mood to write? (seriously, you are AMAZING and write fics so fast and so well I'm left in awe, I need to know what your secret is 😂)

Aahh.. Ghosssst.. that's a big compliment coming from one of my favorite writers! You're sweet 😅😳

To answer your question, tho.. I honestly don't really have a go to method of getting myself in the mood 🤔 Usually, I just sit down, and let the words flow out as they may. If I'm writing something extra smutty - I may overload myself with thirst first, but that's about it 🤣

Thanks for the ask, Ghost! 😁

She’s not wasting time alright 😂

onyx: kiss in the first episode

lyris: sex in the first episode

piama: MARRIAGE IN THE FIRST EPISODE

It’s missing Yvette hours 😞

putting aside the OGs, yvette’s swm route is my absolute favourite thing to come out of lovestruck. pure, unbridled, self-indulgent villain redemption arc. beautiful, dangerous, morally corrupt woman with a backstory so tragic that if her writer wasn’t such a goddamn beaut, it would be funny. 

you spend her first two seasons like oh okay she is the horniest woman alive, rivalled only by the swm mc, that’s fair. that’s good. i know what i’m getting into. then the SECOND she’s able to ACTUALLY touch another living being, she’s SO–! and you remember she’s a 29 y/o virgin plant nerd puppy loving hopeless romantic who blushes if the mc shows too much affection and–! i LOVE her!

There was an ask on the blog about that exact scenario! That one was a joy to write 😂😂 I think the thing I like the most out of that pairing is the “forbidden love” aspect, since Yvette and Onyx are on opposite sides and all 😅

Lovestruck’s Ask Game!!

17, 18 and 20👀

Ohhhh thanks for the ask! 😄

17. do you write or draw fan content?

Yup! Everything I’ve written for LS can be found over at the @wlw-lovestruck-fiction blog! I’ve been meaning to reblog them here but always forget lol

18. favourite ships, not including the mcs?

Darla x Jo, Ruelle x Piama and Onyx x Yvette! Not only are the dynamics between those characters interesting, but all the pairings are also very cute and the interactions are just golden – I mean, can someone honestly tell me they didn’t smile at least a little bit with Darla’s interactions with Jo? I’m always up for seeing different sides of each character, especially considering Darla’s whole “queen bee” persona, and the side Jo brings to light is adorable!

And the amount of Ruelle x Piama in Xenia’s route is just 🥺🥺🥺

20. How do you feel abt the routes that end in marriage and/or kids?

It makes me feel all fluffy inside. The first route I read that ended in marriage was Serena’s, and I could have melted right there and then. I couldn’t stop smiling! When the weekend challenge came for her, the episode I reread the most was that one. I definitely didn’t think I would care so much for a proposal or wedding scene yet here I am, hoping desperately it happens in Yvette’s route. It all just hits different if it has or ends with scenes like those.

I haven’t read a route that ended with kids yet, but I’m sure I’ll like it all the same!

Lovestruck’s Ask Game!!

17, 18 and 20👀

Ohhhh thanks for the ask! 😄

17. do you write or draw fan content?

Yup! Everything I’ve written for LS can be found over at the @wlw-lovestruck-fiction blog! I’ve been meaning to reblog them here but always forget lol

18. favourite ships, not including the mcs?

Darla x Jo, Ruelle x Piama and Onyx x Yvette! Not only are the dynamics between those characters interesting, but all the pairings are also very cute and the interactions are just golden – I mean, can someone honestly tell me they didn’t smile at least a little bit with Darla’s interactions with Jo? I’m always up for seeing different sides of each character, especially considering Darla’s whole “queen bee” persona, and the side Jo brings to light is adorable!

And the amount of Ruelle x Piama in Xenia’s route is just 🥺🥺🥺

20. How do you feel abt the routes that end in marriage and/or kids?

It makes me feel all fluffy inside. The first route I read that ended in marriage was Serena’s, and I could have melted right there and then. I couldn’t stop smiling! When the weekend challenge came for her, the episode I reread the most was that one. I definitely didn’t think I would care so much for a proposal or wedding scene yet here I am, hoping desperately it happens in Yvette’s route. It all just hits different if it has or ends with scenes like those.

I haven’t read a route that ended with kids yet, but I’m sure I’ll like it all the same!